The fourth edition of Booker's Little Book is a true family affair.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Buttery caramel and sweet oak pour out of the glass. Followed by notes of butterscotch and a vanilla. Heat is present, but nicely balances the experience as a whole.
Palate: Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. Buttery caramel and toasted oak hit first, followed by floral and vanilla in the mid palate. Brown sugar and rye spice dominate the back palate. What's really impressive is how the tasting notes flow flawlessly together.
Finish: Floral notes carry over to the finish along with notes of burnt caramel and sweet oak. Rye spice brings things home. The whole experience reminds me of when someone hugs you a little too hard, but you kind of like it.
Final Thoughts
This was my first Little Book experience and I had zero expectations walking into it. I didn't read any reviews about Chapter 04 "Lesson's Honored" before hand, and I didn't ask any of my friends about it. Why did I want to go into this review with a blank slate? Simply put, I'm just tired of being disappointed by expensive limited release bottles.
Little Book Chapter 04 "Lessons Learned" retails for $124.99, but that's not what I paid for my bottle. All of my local liquor stores sold out within 4 hours of its release. That doesn't mean that this bottle is any good, it just means hardcore whiskey taters in my area bought it up like toilet paper during the beginning of the pandemic.
I purchased my bottle of Little Book Chapter 04 from a trusted online retailer and paid $199 excluding shipping, taxes, and other ridiculous fees. That's a significant mark-up but I'd been saving up for this bottle and took the financial hit.
For those who don't know, Little Book is a limited annual release from Jim Beam Distillery that features personally selected whiskeys by Master Distiller Freddie Noe. Each release has a story behind it, and pays homage the Noe family's legacy of distilling whiskey.
Little Book Chapter 04 "Lessons Learned" features three straight whiskeys selected by Freddie Noe to honor his father, Fred Noe:
4 year old bourbon made with brown rice
8 year old “high-rye” straight rye
7 year old straight bourbon
To illustrate just how deep Freddie Noe went with the meaning behind this bottle, he choose blue as the color of its tag (pictured below) because it's the color of his father's beloved Kentucky Wildcats.
Why did I want to go into this review with a blank slate? Simply put, I'm just tired of being disappointed by expensive limited release bottles.
I'm a sucker for a good story and Little Book Chapter 04 "Lessons Learned" is an absolute page turner. It's a hard bottle to put down. I'm about half way through "Lessons Learned" and I feel like I'm just getting to know this whiskey. I'm taking my time though and appreciating each pour. I know once this bottle is gone the chances of me finding another one at a reasonable price point are almost nonexistent.
At its suggested retail price of $124.99 Little Book Chapter 04 "Lessons Learned" is an outstanding whiskey experience. Once you starting hitting prices above $160 though, I'd recommend looking for a bottle of Bookers Bourbon instead.
Final Score: 288 out 379 Kentucky Miles (Outstanding whiskey experience)
Little Book Chapter 04 "Lessons" Learned Photo Gallery
